Lets study English Idioms

Suhanto Kastaredja
Email:kastaredjasuhanto@gmail.com

Idioms with All

1-

Idiom: All ears

Meaning: listening, paying attention

Example:

Person 1: Are you listening?

Person 2: Yes, Im all ears!

2-

Idiom: All eyes on me/ all eyes on him/all eyes on _____

Meaning: everyone looking/waiting to hear something

Example:

-All eyes on where on the mayor, as she begin her speech about the new housing
project.

-All eyes were on the stage while the dancers performed.

3-

Idiom: All hell broke loose

Meaning: chaos

Example:
All hell broke loose when the fire alarm went off; people where running
everywhere.

The riots in Baltimore caused all hell to break loose in the centre of the city.

4-

Idiom: All in a days work

Meaning: No big deal, simple

Example:

Person 1: Thanks for helping me move.

Person 2: Its all in a days work.

5-

Idiom: All your eggs in one basket

Meaning: Dont risk/put/gamble all your assets in one place or on one thing

Example:

Person 1: Im going to bet all my money on the New York Yankees.

Person 2: Dont put all your eggs in one basket.

6-

Idiom: All in your head

Meaning: you are imagining something, making a big deal about something that
shouldnt be

Example: Dont worry about this. Its all in your head.

7-

Idiom: All over the map

Meaning: Random, Hard to follow, incomprehensible

Examples:
-That video was all over the map.

-Professor Johnsons lecture was all over the map.

8-

Idiom: alls well that ends well

Meaning: earlier problems dont matter because of a happy ending or outcome

Example:

-Even though the meeting had a slow start, eventually people started having a
good time and dancing- alls well that ends well.

9-

Idiom: go all out

Meaning: put all of your energy into something; do something enthusiastically

Example:

-Veronica went all out on the Halloween party. She had a costume contest,
games and even a haunted house.

-You have to go all out to win the race.

Colour Idioms

1-

Idiom: blue collared worker

Meaning: works in a factory or hard labour job

Example:

-My dad is a blue collared worker. He has worked for Ford Motors for 34 years.

-The restaurant is full of blue collared workers because it is near three

factories.

2-
Idiom: give the green light

Meaning: give permission

Example:

-My boss gave me the green light to submit the report to our client.

-After proofreading his work, she gave the green light to go ahead with the
project.

3-

Idiom: once in a blue moon

Meaning: very rarely, not very often

Example:

-I like to go salsa dancing once in a blue moon.

-Albert visits his aunt once in a blue moon.

4-

Idiom: paint the town red

Meaning: have a great time

Example:

They painted the town red last night at the bachelorette party.

We are going to paint the town red tonight, because I am turning 21 years old!

5-

Idiom: see things in black and white

Meaning: no middle ground, only two possible ways

Example:

-My husband only sees things in black and white. He is never willing to see things
in other peoples eyes.
- She is so stubborn. She only see things in black and white.

6-

Idiom: See through rose-coloured glasses

Meaning: very optimistic, very positive

Example:

-My sister sees the world through rose-coloured glasses. She thinks everything
is perfect.

-He looked at the world through rose-coloured glasses.

7-

Idiom: tickled pink

Meaning: very happy

Example:

I was tickled pink when I received flowers at the office from my husband.

She was tickled pink when she received a big raise at her job.

8-

Idiom: white collared worker

Meaning: works in an office

Example:

-I dont want to be a white collared worker all my life. Working in a cubicle

drives me insane.

-The white collared workers poured out of the office building at 5:01pm.

9- Idiom: with flying colours

Meaning: did very well

-Wilmer passed his math exam with flying colours.

-Sofia studied very hard and passed the university entrance exam with flying
colours.

Idioms about Time

1-

Idiom: Around the corner

Meaning: coming up; soon

Examples:

- Halloween is just around the corner.

-I cant believe that Christmas is just around the corner.

2-

Idiom: crack of dawn

Meaning: very early in the morning

Examples:

-Willy has to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to work on time.

-Megan woke up at the crack of dawn in order to catch her flight to Italy.

3-

Idiom: at the eleventh hour

Meaning: at the last minute, when there is little time left

Example:

-The New York Yankees won the World Series at the eleventh hour.

- He bought the concert tickets at the eleventh hour.

4-

Idiom: in a flash
Meaning: very quickly; immediately.

Example:

-Ellen ran outside in a flash when she heard the explosion.

-The bird died in a flash after flying into the window.

5-

Idiom: in a heartbeat

Meaning: instantly; immediately

Examples:

-The final inning of the baseball game was over in a heartbeat.

- He accepted the new job in a heartbeat.

6-

Idiom: in the nick of time

Meaning: just in time; to do something in just enough time to be successful

Examples:

-The woman was saved by a doctor just in the nick of time.

- The man got out of the way of the train just in the nick of time.

7- Idiom: lose track of time

Meaning: forgot about time; forgot/ got distracted about the time

Examples:

-Im sorry Im late. I lost track of time.

-I always lose track of time when I am playing video games.

8-

Idiom: a mile a minute

Meaning: very quickly

Examples:

-Amelie talks a mile a minute.

-The tour guide talked a mile a minute. I barely understood what he said.

9-

Idiom: kill time/time to kill

Meaning: use time up; spend time aimlessly or without purpose

Examples:

-I have to kill time before my next flight in two hours.

-I had time to kill before my dinner date; so I decided to go shopping.

10-

Idiom: time heals all wounds

Meaning: things get better with time

Example:

-Shelly is very upset because her husband cheated on her time heals all
wounds.

Idioms to Express Happiness

1-

Idiom: On cloud nine

Meaning: you are on the top of the world, you feel wonderful

Examples:

-I was on cloud nine after I my daughter was born.

-Jeffrey was on cloud nine after he won the lottery.

2-

Idiom: Over the moon

Meaning: feel great, feel on top of the world

Examples:

-Amy was over the moon when she got engaged.

-My little sister was over the moon when she got a tablet for her birthday.

3-

Idiom: happy camper

Meaning: really happy

Examples:

-Tony was a happy camper when he got to leave work early.

-Kendall was a happy camper when the meeting was cancelled.

4-

Idiom: in seventh heaven

Meaning: really happy

Examples:

-I was in seventh heaven after eating chocolate cheesecake for dessert.

-She was in seventh heaven when she found out she was pregnant.

5-

Idiom: jump for joy

Meaning: be really happy/excited

Examples:

-She jumped for joy when completed the triathlon.

-He jumped for joy when he won $5,000 in the lottery.

Idioms about Personality/Personal Characters

1-

Idiom: behind the times

Meaning: old-fashioned, does not want to change

Examples:

- My uncle is behind the times, he still uses a cell phone the size of a brick.

- The hotel room was behind the times. It didnt have a flat screen TV or air-
conditioning.

2-

Idiom: busybody

Meaning: a person who meddles or pries in other peoples business or problems

Examples:

- Julie is a busybody. She is always asking a lot of questions and gossiping about
others.

- My elderly neighbour is a busybody. I avoid talking to her at all costs.

3-

Idiom: cheapskate

Meaning: does not like to speak money, very frugal or stingy

Examples:

- My aunt Carla would rather go hungry than buy lunch at a restaurant. She is
such a cheapskate.

- My dad has been wearing the same clothes since the 70s. He is such a
cheapskate. He would rather wear outdated clothes than spend $20 on a new
shirt.
4-

Idiom: down to earth

Meaning: humble, easy going, practical, polite

Examples:

- Erica is a down to earth person. She has never been high maintenance like her
sister.

- Jackson has been my friend since fourth grade. He is such a down to earth
person and is easy to talk to.

5-

Idiom: go-getter

Meaning: ambitious

Examples:

- My brother is a go-getter; he had a multimillion dollar company by the age of

thirty.

- The successful entrepreneur has been a go-getter since he started his

business ten years ago.

6-

Idiom: know it all

Meaning: someone who thinks they know everything

Examples:

- My uncle is such a know it all; he thinks he knows everything.

- My six year daughter is a know it all. She thinks she knows everything even
when proved wrong.

7-

Idiom: party pooper

Meaning: some who has a negative attitude or actions

Examples:

- Melisa is such a party pooper. She is always complains about everything.

- I hate spending time with Teresa. She is such a party pooper. Everything that
comes out of her mouth is negative.

8-

Idiom: set in ones ways

Meaning: someone who is stubborn or does not like change

Examples:

- My grandma is set in her ways. She still doesnt think that computers are
necessary.

- My grandfather is set in his ways. He thinks that women should do all the
cooking and cleaning around the house.

9-

Idiom: social butterfly

Meaning: a person that knows a lot of people, someone that socializes with many
people or groups

Examples:

- Missy has been a social butterfly since she was a little kid. She knows tons of
people.

- Social butterflies are great people to be friends with. They can always
introduce you to someone new.

10-

Idiom: worrywart

Meaning: someone who worries about everything, someone who is very anxious
Examples:

- I have been a worrywart all of my life. Everything makes me anxious.

- Mr. Phillips was such a worrywart. He always thought something bad was going
to happen; though nothing ever did.

11-

Idiom: slime ball

Meaning: horrible, disputing

Examples:

-That professional basketball player is such a slime ball. He has ten kids with
different women and doesnt support any of them.

-My Uncle Sam is such a slime ball. He is always hitting on women young enough
to be his daughter.

12-

Idiom: arm chair critic

Meaning: someone who is very critical, says negative comments about everything
but does nothing about it

Example:

-My friend is such an arm chair critic. She is always complaining about the cost
of her rent but never tries to find a cheaper place to live.

13-

Idiom: has a heart of gold

Meaning: friendly, sincere, generous

Examples:

-My aunt has a heart of gold. She volunteers three times a week at a homeless
shelter.
-She is so nice. She must have a heart of gold.

Business/Work Place Idioms

1-

Idiom: face the facts

Meaning: accept reality; deal the truth (usually negative)

Examples:

-You have to face the facts. If this company doesnt start earning money soon;
we will have to go bankrupt.

-If you dont face the facts, you are going to lose this account for the company.

2-

Idiom: Go back to the drawing board

Meaning: start over again

Examples:

-We had to go back to the drawing board after the client rejected the initial
design of the website.

- The marketing team had to go back to the drawing board after their first
campaign failed.

3-

Idiom: head the team

Meaning: in charge of, the boss, lead a group

Examples:

-Marcela is going to head the team in the new marketing campaign.

- Oscar heads the team in accounting.

4-
Idiom: get tied up

Meaning: get stuck in

Examples:

-I got tied up on a conference call for two hours.

-Marcos got tied up in the marketing department all afternoon.

5-

Idiom: footing the bill

Meaning: pay for

Examples:

-Who is going to foot the bill for this mistake; us or the client?

-Whoever is footing the bill for this retreat must be rich.

6-

Idiom: have an eye for (something)

Meaning: the ability to do something well

Examples:

- Tiffany has an eye for design.

- Pedro has had an eye for details since he started working here five years ago.

7-

Idiom: in over your head

Meaning: have too much to do, have too much responsibility/ability

Examples:

-She is in over her head with the new account. She has so much to do and will
never finish.
-I knew he was in over his head when he missed the big deadline.

8-

Idiom: to axe someone

Meaning: to fire someone, to get terminated from your job/position

Examples:

- Willy got axed from job after he got his an argument with his co-worker.

- Rob was axed after they found out he was stealing money from the company.

9-

Idiom: back to the grind

Meaning: get back to work/routine

Examples:

- Ive got to get back to the grind after the long weekend. Im sure there is a
lot of work piled up.

- Ive been lazy lately. I better get back to the grind before I get fired.

10-

Idiom: desk jockey

Meaning: stuck at desk or stuck at computer all day long

Examples:

-I hate being a desk jockey. I wish I had a job where I got to get out of the
office.

- She has been a desk jockey since she was 21. Thats why she cant understand
why I want to work in a different field.

11-

Idiom: pick up the slack

Meaning: do work that other arent doing/wont do

Examples:

-Alex always works late. He has to pick up the slack of his lazy co-workers.

-Maria had to pick up the slack because one of her co-workers quit.

12-

Idiom: go with the flow

Meaning: go along with whatever happens; go along as things change

Examples:

- You have to be able to go with the flow in this position. No day is ever the
same.

- She doesnt like to go with the flow. She likes to be in charge of everything
and doesnt like it when things change.

13-

Idiom: (to) dot your is and cross your ts

Meaning: to be very detail oriented; to be very careful

Examples:

- You have to dot your is and cross your ts when you work with the Schultz
Brothers.

They always find peoples mistakes.

- If you dont dot your is and cross your ts on this contract; there might be
legal repercussions.

14-

Idiom: bite off more than one can chew

Meaning: take on too much; try to do too much

Examples:

-She bit off more than she can chew when she agreed to write the entire 100
page report by Friday.

-He bit off more than he can chew when he said he would compile all of the
findings in a report by next week.

Idioms about People in Businesses/Corporation

1-

Idiom: Mover and Shaker

Meaning: a powerful person who goes to many events and influences and meets
many people

Examples:

-The owner of Samsung is a mover and shaker. He convinces people to buy his
new designs and support his new projects even before they are developed.

-The head of public relations is a mover and a shaker. She knows how to get
free publicity and a ton of people to show up at events just by making a few
phones calls.

2-

Idiom: Big Fish in a little pond

Meaning: a person who is over qualified and has lots of skills or education but
works for a small company or business

Example:

-Even though Dr. Martin is renowned for his work in heart surgery; he prefers
to work at a small clinic than in a huge hospital in the city. Dr. Martin is a big
fish in a little pond.

3-

Idiom: Big Cheese

Meaning: the most important person in a business/organization,

Examples:

-Bill Gates is the big cheese of Microsoft.

-My cousin thinks he is the big cheese of his company but he is only mid-level
management.

4-

Idiom: people person

Meaning: a person who enjoys or is very good at interacting with others.

Examples:

-Marcie has been a people person since she was a young girl. She is a true
extrovert and will talk to anyone she meets.

-Im not really a people person. Id rather keep to myself than have to talk to
everyone I see.

5-

Idiom: the head honcho

Meaning: the most important person in a business/organization

Examples:

-My sister is the head honcho of the Museum of Modern Art in Miami.

-My friend will soon be the head honcho of social media company in New York.

Idioms about Men

1-

Idiom: a man of few words

Meaning: quiet man

Examples:

-My grandfather is a man of few words.

-Eric is a man of few words. He never talks a lot unless he disapproved of
something; than he would let us know.

2-

Idiom: a man of his word

Meaning: someone who keeps their promise; does what they say they are going
to do

Examples:

-You can trust him. He is a man of his word.

- Mr. Jenkins is a man of his word. I have known him for 25 years and he always
does what he says he is going to.

3-

Idiom: a ladies man

Meaning: a man that loves spending time and flirting with women

Examples:

- You better watch out. Calvin is a ladies man. He never commits to one woman
for very long.

- Jeff is a ladies man. The girls are always throwing themselves at him at bars
and clubs.

4-

Idiom: a man of the people

Meaning: understand of need, views of the ordinary people

Examples:

-Congressman Field is a man of the people. He always listens to what his

constituents want and need.

- Pastor Swanson is a man of the people. He spends most of his time helping
ordinary people do better in life.
5-

Idiom: man of the hour

Meaning: someone who is receiving a lot of attention right now

Example:

-Here he is; the man of the hour. Lets toast to his new business venture.

6-

Idiom: family man

Meaning: a man that likes to spend time and is dedicated to his family

Examples:

-Jason is a family man. He loves spending time with his three kids and wife.

-Im not sure why he has so many kids. He is not a family man at all. He barely
ever sees his kids.

7-

Idiom: sugar daddy

Meaning: a wealthy (rich) older man who gives gifts to young women in return for
their company or sexual favours

Examples:

- Geraldines sugar daddy bought her a new car after their last date.

- Marisa loves having a sugar daddy. Whenever she goes out with him, he buys
her lots of expensive clothes and shoes that she would never be able to afford.

Idioms about Appearance

1-

Idiom: not a hair out of place

Meaning: perfect appearance; to look perfect

Examples:

-Nathan always looks great- not a hair out of place.

2-

Idiom: Dressed to Kill

Meaning: wearing beautiful clothes in order to create a stunning impression

Examples:

-Charlotte was dressed to kill. Everyone at the ball couldnt keep their eyes off
her.

-Christina appeared at the party in a beautiful blue gown. She was dressed to
kill.

3-

Idiom: decked out

Meaning: dressed up; dressed in very nice clothes

Examples:

-Marta got all decked out for the Holiday Party at work.

-Petra got decked out for her first date with the doctor.

4-

Idiom: pretty as a picture

Meaning: very pretty; very beautiful

Examples:

- Josie was as pretty as a picture.

-After Fernanda got her hair and makeup done; she was pretty as a picture.

Idioms about Relationships

1-
Idiom: be an item

Meaning: to be dating; to be a couple in a romantic relationship

Examples:

-Joel and Cindy are an item; it only took two long years for them to officially
start dating.

- Sean and Megan are an item. They finally made it official.

2-

Idiom: get hitched/tie the knot

Meaning: get married

Examples:

-Sam and Georgia got hitched in Las Vegas.

-Eric and Sara tied the knot last week.

3-

Idiom: cold feet

Meaning: loss of nerve; no confidence; scared (to do something)

Examples:

-Kyle had cold feet. He wanted to ask Lucia out on a date but he thought she
would say no.

-He started to get cold feet on his wedding day.

4-

Idiom: butterflies in my stomach

Meaning: to be anxious or nervous about something

Examples:

-She gets butterflies in her stomach every time he calls.

-I got butterflies in my stomach before our first date.

5-

Idiom: head over heels

Meaning: madly/really in love

Examples:

-I fell head over heels for Matt the first time I met him.

-Emily fell head over heels for Santiago.

6-

Idiom: have the hots for

Meaning: to like someone; to be attracted to someone

Examples:

-Charlie has the hots for Sarah.

-Mitch has had the hots for Stephanie since they were fifteen years old.

7-

Idiom: have a crush on someone

Meaning: to secretly like someone; to secretly be attracted to someone

Examples:

-I have had a crush on my neighbour Tony since I was six years old. He is so
cute.

-Little Jimmy has a crush on his first grade teacher. He never stops talking
about how great she is.

8-

Idiom: catch someones eye

Meaning: attract someone's attention by making eye contact with them; be
noticed by someone

Examples:

-He tried to catch her eye from the other side of the bar.

-Her stunning looks caught my eye.

9-

Idiom: puppy love

Meaning: intense but relatively superficial romantic attachment usually

associated with teenagers

Examples:

-Antonia and Alex are such a cute couple. Its like puppy love how they are
together all the time.

-Gabrielle and Mason cant get enough of each other. I hope this puppy love
lasts.

Idioms about Family

1-

Idiom: black sheep of the family

Meaning: worst member of the family; outcast of the family

Examples:

-William is the black sheep of the family. He has never fit in.

-She is the black sheep of the family. She never went to university and barely
ever works.

2-

Idiom: run in the family

Meaning: a characteristic that many members of the family have

Examples:

-Big noses run in the family.

- Even though cancer runs in the family doesnt mean that you will have it.

3-

Idiom: your own flesh and blood

Meaning: a member of the family

Examples:

-You should be nicer to your brother. He is your own flesh and blood.

- I think your step-dad forgets you are part of the family. You are their own
flesh and blood.

4-

Idiom: bad blood

Meaning: feeling of hate or strong dislike between people because of any

arguments or problems in the past

Examples:

-There has been bad blood between Richard and Natalie ever since he broke up
with her.

-There is bad blood between my grandfather and his new neighbour. They are
always getting into arguments because his neighbour lets his dog poop all over
my Grandpas yard.

5-

Idiom: blood is thicker than water

Meaning: family relationships are the strongest and most important ones; be
loyal to your family

Examples:
-Johns wife doesnt like his brother. John better remember that blood is
thicker than water.

-She better remember that blood is thicker than water. She thinks her friends
have good intentions but they are really pulling her away from her family.

6-

Idiom: a chip off the old block

Meaning: similar to father/mother

Examples:

-Peter is really a chip off the old block. He looks just like his father did when
he was a young man.

-Sophia talks, walks and dressers just like her mom. She is chip off the old
block.

7-

Idiom: like father, like son/ like mother, like daughter

Meaning: do something the same as parent

Example:

-Jacob decided to join the military- like father, like son.

-Carla got into acting- like mother, like daughter.

8-

Idiom: fly the coop/nest

Meaning: child leaves the family home and lives elsewhere

Examples:

-Jimmy flew the coop when he turned 18 years old.

-Betsy flew the nest as soon as she accepted a full time job in the city.
9-

Idiom: empty nesters

Meaning: adult children moved about and parents are now living alone

Examples:

-My parents were so excited to be empty nesters.

-My parents dont like being empty nesters. They are thinking about getting a
foreign exchange student to live with them.

Idioms with the word Down

1-

Idiom: down in the dumps

Meaning: feels really bad, depressed

Examples:

-Mabel was down in the dumps after she lost her job.

-Willy has been down in the dumps since he found out he failed his Physics exam.

2-

Idiom: down to the wire

Meaning: until the last moment or second

Examples:

-The World Cup game came down to the wire before Brazil won in the last
minute.

- The basketball game came down to the wire until Michael Jordan made a 3-
pointer in the last five seconds of the game.

3-

Idiom: down the drain

Meaning: lost forever, gone, wasted

Examples:

-All of Ericks work went down the drain when his computer was stolen out of his
car. He lost all of his files.

-All of her work went down the drain when she lost her job.

4-

Idiom: down and out

Meaning: have no money/have no support

Examples:

-Michelle was down and out after her house burned down.

-The Smiths were on the down and out after they moved to Milwaukee and
couldnt find jobs.

Animal Idioms

1-

Idiom: monkey see, monkey do

Meaning: copy; mimic

Example:

-Stop copying me! Monkey see. Monkey do.

2-

Idiom: monkey business

Meaning: playing around; now following the rules or laws

Examples:

-Stop this monkey business right now! Or you might break something.
-This monkey business has gone too far! You better start listening to your
parents or you will have to go on time out.

3-

Idiom: I smell a rat.

Meaning: feel that something is wrong; someone saying something about you

Example:

-I wonder how she knew I said that.- I smell a rat.

4-

Idiom: rat you out

Meaning: tell on you; to reveal incriminating or embarrassing information about

someone

Example:

-She ratted out she brother after he robbed someone.

-The journalist ratted out all of the politicians that were involved in a money
laundering ring.

5-

Idiom: rat race

Meaning: keeps you busy with doing much meaningful

Example:

-I am stuck in the rat race.

-I finally got out of the rat race when I started my own business online.

6-

Idiom: pig out

Meaning: eat a lot of food in a short amount of time

Examples:

-My grandpa pigged out at the buffet.

-I pigged out at Jonathans birthday Party. The food was great.

7-

Idiom: hog something

Meaning: dont share/take up

Examples:

-Stop hogging the toys. I want to play too.

-Dont hog the bread. I want some too.

8-

Idiom: dog eat dog world

Meaning: a situation where it is very competitive and you will do anything to get

Ahead / excel / survive

Example:

-The acting scene in Los Angeles is a dog eat dog world- many people will do
anything to get cast in a movie.

9-

Idiom: when pigs fly

Meaning: never

Examples:

-I will call him back when pigs fly.

-I hate sea food. I will eat it when pigs fly.

10-
Idiom: crocodile tears

Meaning: fake tears or crying; pretend to be upset

Examples:

-My daughter pretended to be upset when school was cancelled but it was really
crocodile tears.

-The boy sheds a lot of crocodile tears to see if his mom gives him what he
wants in the store.

11-

Idiom: smell something fishy

Meaning: to seem suspicious

Examples:

-I smell something fishy. I think that man is up to no good.

- Something about the real estate deal seemed odd. I decided to call if off
because something smelled fishy.

12-

Idiom: take the bull by the horns

Meaning: to deal with or confront a problem head-on/publicly

Examples:

-After I found out my wife was cheating on me; I took the bull by the horns and
called a divorce attorney.

-Its time to take the bull by the horns and complete this project before it is
too late.

13-

Idiom: let the cat out of the bag

Meaning: to accidently reveal a secret

Examples:

-My sister let the cat out of the bag when she mentioned I was pregnant. I
hadnt told anyone else the news yet.

-Kim let the cat out of the bag when she accidently told Mark about his surprise
party.

Cat Idioms

1-

Idiom: copycat

Meaning: someone that copies another person or thing

Examples:

-She is a copycat. If I wear by hair a certain way; she does too.

-People need to think of their own songs and stop being copycats.

2-

Idiom: raining cats and dogs

Meaning: pouring rain, raining very hard

Example:

-I thought it was supposed to be nice out today but now its raining cats and
dogs.

3-

Idiom: cats got your tongue

Meaning: someone who is having a difficult speaking, or someone who is shy and
doesnt want to speak or respond

Example:

-What happened? The cats got your tongue?

4-

Idiom: cat nap

Meaning: short nap or sleep

Examples:

-I am going to take a quick cat nap before I make dinner.

-The baby never seems to sleep for a long time. He takes cat naps all day long.

5-

Idiom: curiosity killed the cat

Meaning: being curious can get you into trouble

Example:

-Stop trying to read his messages- remember curiosity killed the cat.

Idioms about Sports

1-

Idiom: ahead of the pack

Meaning: in front of the rest in the group

Example:

-Marcela ran ahead of the pack and won the race.

-Jeffrey started slow but sprinted the last leg of the race and got ahead of the
pack.

2-

Idiom: cover all the bases

Meaning: detailed; doesnt forget anything

Examples:
-I need to cover all the bases and make sure all the team members completed
their part of the project.

- The marketing presentation is very detailed. I think we have covered all of the
bases.

3-

Idiom: jump the gun

Meaning: start before you are supposed, start/do something too early/quickly

Examples:

-He jumped the gun and started repairing his house the same day he bought it.

- I guess I jumped the gun when I bought Mary a gift for her baby when I
found out she was pregnant. I gave her a pink outfit for the baby and she just
found out she is having a boy.

4-

Idiom: on the mark

Meaning: correct

Examples:

-Her speech was on the mark.

- His bid for cleaning services was on the mark. We hired his company to start
cleaning our office next week.

5-

Idiom: out of left field

Meaning: comes out of nowhere; a complete surprise

Examples:

-My resignation came from out of left field. My boss was very surprised.
- My sisters outburst came out of left field. I never knew she was so passionate
about global warming.

6-

Idiom: learn the ropes

Meaning: learn new things; learn new process

Examples:

-I spent my first week in my new position learning the ropes.

- You have to learn the ropes of our advertising business if you want to land
your first big client.

7-

Idiom: on the ball

Meaning: ready and able; proactive

Examples:

-Your new assistant is on the ball. She got back to me really quick with the
information I requested.

- Its important to be on the ball when turning in your homework. You would hate
for the teacher to give you an incomplete.

8-

Idiom: take a rain check

Meaning: accept at a later time

Examples:

-Thanks for the invitation but Im going to take a rain check. I already have
plans that day.

-Sounds interesting but Im going to take a rain check. Have a great time.

9-
Idiom: under the table

Meaning: illegally

Examples:

-He is always doing business under the table so he doesnt have to pay taxes.

-The dishwasher doesnt have papers to work so he has to be paid under the
table.

Idioms about Expressing Emotions

1-

Idiom: blew my top

Meaning: very angry or irate

Example:

-Ms. Peterson blew her top when the new cleaning lady smashed an expensive
vase.

-I blew my top when I found out that the concert tickets were already sold out.

2-

Idiom: throw a fit

Meaning: very angry

Examples:

-My five year old daughter threw a fit when her favourite movie ended.

-I am going to throw a fit if they dont serve our food soon. Im starving!

3-

Idiom: sick and tired

Meaning: very frustrated, very annoyed

Examples:
-Im sick and tired of your attitude.

-Im sick and tired of how you treat your mother. Why dont you be a little
nicer? She is trying to help you out.

4-

Idiom: giving the cold shoulder

Meaning: avoid someone, ignore someone

Example:

-She gave me the cold shoulder at the wedding and pretended she didnt even
see me.

- He gave me the cold shoulder all afternoon and refused to speak to me.

5-

Idiom: worried sick

Meaning: very anxious, almost panic stricken

Example:

-I was worried sick about you. Why didnt you answer your phone?

-Amy was worried sick about her daughter after she didnt come home at her
curfew.

6-

Idiom: bored to death

Meaning: extremely bored

Example:

-I was bored to death during the economics lecture.

-I went to a science fiction movie with my brother and I was bored to death. It
was not my type of film.
7-

Idiom: Keep your fingers crossed

Meaning: wishing for something to come true

Examples:

-I kept my fingers crossed as they were calling of the names of the people that
won prizes.

-Keep your fingers crossed that I get this job.

Food Idioms

1-

Idiom: Easy as pie

Meaning: something was simple or easy

Examples:

-The math homework was easy as pie.

-That was easy as pie!

2-

Idiom: piece of cake

Meaning: something was simple or easy

Examples:

-The biology exam was a piece of cake. I didnt even have to study.

-That was a piece of cake! It only took five minutes.

3-

Idiom: icing on the cake

Meaning: something extra special happens on top of something else good

Example:

-To put icing on the cake, she made a delicious dessert to eat after the
homemade meal.

-I got the job and to put icing on the cake; they offered to pay me even more
than I asked for!

4-

Idiom: chew out

Meaning: scold/yell someone

Example:

-My teacher chewed me out for not turning in my homework all week long.

-My grandma chewed me out for watching too much TV.

5-

Idiom: spill the beans

Meaning: to disclose or tell a secret

Examples:

-I know you know what happened; spill the beans!

- Spill the beans and tell me what she said.

6-

Idiom: sour grapes

Meaning: refers to an attitude in which someone has a negative attitude about

something because they cannot have it themselves.

Examples:

-The principal ignored the complaints about a new teacher as sour grapes.
-The teacher dismissed the students complaints as sour grapes. Next time they
would have to study harder for the exam.